Assorted Big Breesy Info

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; a thread here just to stick assorted Drew info for everyone to get to know him a little better
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The BreesÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã¢Â„Â¢ enjoy traveling to exotic locales. In 2003, they honeymooned in Tahiti and last February, they spent two weeks ...

a thread here just to stick assorted Drew info for everyone to get to know him a little better
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The BreesÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã¢Â„Â¢ enjoy traveling to exotic locales. In 2003, they honeymooned in Tahiti and last February, they spent two weeks in Africa where they rode on several safaris, went diving with great white sharks, attended a rugby match, toured African wineries and visited the jail where former South African President Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.

At home, Brees enjoys a wide range of sports including baseball and golf. A shortstop through high school, Drew has been invited to take batting practice with the San Diego Padres a couple of times. In June, he traveled to Omaha, Nebraska to watch his younger brother, Reid, play in the College World Series for the Baylor Bears. Reid was a senior in 2005 who played in the outfield and batted cleanup. It was BaylorÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã¢Â„Â¢s first trip to the CWS since 1978. On the links, Drew was invited to play in the 2005 Buick Open Pro-Am with John Daly and the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic Pro-Am with Jesper Parnevik. He also hosted a golf tournament in April 2005 at the Crosby National Golf Course in Rancho Santa Fe to benefit the Brees Dream Foundation. The tournament raised more than $100,000.

One of the events staged by his foundation was the Brees Gridiron Classic at Qualcomm Stadium last December. The one-day event featured four games between teams from Pop Warner and American Youth Football. BreesÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã¢Â„Â¢ foundation provided use of the stadium and took care of all of the costs associated with the event. In June, Drew hosted the Brees on the Seas Fishing for a Cure in which he took a group of kids who are terminally ill with cancer on a day-long ocean fishing trip in San Diego.
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Drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft with the 32nd overall selectionÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã‚Â¦Left Purdue University as the Big Ten and schoolÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã¢Â„Â¢s all-time leader in passing yards (11,792), touchdown passes (90), total offensive yards (12,693), completion percentage (.611), completions (1.026) and attempts (1,678)ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã‚Â¦Received numerous honors including being named Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in 1998 and 2000ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã‚Â¦Was named all conference three consecutive years (1998-2000)ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã‚Â¦As a senior named Academic All-America Player of the YearÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã‚Â¦Also earned All-Big Ten and All-District V academic honorsÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã‚Â¦Was first recipient of Socrates Award recognizing nationÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã¢Â„Â¢s finest athlete in terms of academics, athletics and community service.

ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã…Â“It's tough to even think of Drew not being here,ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬? Tomlinson said. ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã…Â“I guess my mind hasn't really grasped that possibility.ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬?
Fullback Lorenzo Neal would not address what has not yet happened. But he made clear his feelings in his profuse praise of the incumbent.
ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã…Â“Drew Brees in his career will be MVP of this league,ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬? Neal said. ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã…Â“He will win a Super Bowl. I hope it's with San Diego.ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬?

What about Drew?
Letting Brees walk will be a big mistake for San Diego
Sports Illustrated
Posted: Thursday March 2, 2006 6:17PM; Updated: Friday March 3, 2006 6:31PM

The San Diego Chargers are on the verge of making a decision that will bring the franchise closer to its dark days, which weren't that long ago. It's been lost amid the hullabaloo of Wonderlic-gate and the uncertainty of the NFL's labor situation.

With free agency starting on Monday, San Diego has turned an enviable situation of being stacked at the quarterback position -- with Drew Brees and Philip Rivers -- into a nightmare scenario: likely allowing Brees -- one of the NFL's top quarterbacks -- to depart without obtaining even a practice-squad player in return.

As recently as 2004, the Chargers had been such a laughingstock that Eli Manning forced a trade (bringing Rivers) after being drafted first overall. Now, the quarterback who spearheaded the remarkable turnaround is being treated like an afterthought.

Brees will likely become a free agent because general manager A.J. Smith is only willing to offer a contract of mostly incentives to a quarterback who tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder during the Chargers' regular-season finale. But Smith's inflexible stance is flabbergasting for a club that's a Super Bowl contender -- with Brees.

Excluding wideout Keenan McCardell, the nucleus of San Diego's potent offense is entering its prime. The Chargers, who barely missed the playoffs after finishing 9-7 last season despite an arduous schedule, are attempting to drum up support for a new stadium. Unless Brees' right arm has fallen off, now's not the time to rely on a quarterback (Rivers) who has thrown just 30 passes in two seasons.

The right move would have been to give Brees at least a one-year deal via the franchise or transition tag. In that scenario, if Brees didn't return to form, the Chargers could have turned to Rivers. But San Diego failed to act before the Feb. 23 deadline because Brees would have earned roughly $10 million in guarantees for one season.

It's not as if the Chargers are in salary-cap hell, forcing a roster purge. San Diego is reportedly more than $20 million under the current cap, and could easily keep both quarterbacks again.

I would have signed Brees to a long-term contract and traded Rivers to bolster the offensive line and secondary. If that's too risky for Smith's taste, the Chargers should have at least dealt Brees to help fill some holes.

The club has sent whispers around the league that Brees' injury is worse than he is letting on. The quarterback insists he's four weeks ahead of schedule. But I'm siding with the orthopedists who have publicly declared that Brees's shoulder will be stronger when he fully recovers. (In the past, Phil Simms and Rich Gannon suffered similar injuries before returning to form.) Brees -- a 27-year-old with a strong work ethic -- is expected to begin throwing in May, which is three months before training camp.

With several teams looking for a quarterback, Brees will receive substantial guaranteed money, even if there's not a new CBA. I was convinced of this last week at the combine while listening to Dolphins coach Nick Saban being interviewed. Saban is known for Karl Rove-like secrecy in disseminating pertinent information. But Saban surprised me with his uncharacteristic candor about Miami's interest in Brees.

(That reminds me, new Jets coach Eric Mangini is already one of the NFL's most tight-lipped coaches. On Sunday, I sat across the aisle from him on the plane ride home. He was conspicuous in his Jets jacket while reading the New York Times Book Review. My kind of head coach, except for the team gear in public. After a bumpy descent, we joked about how the pilot must have been on his first flight. But Mangini quickly turned reticent after I revealed my job, making a convenient trip to the men's room with a polite goodbye. It wasn't enough time to get the view from a coach whose starting quarterback, unlike Brees, tore his rotator cuff.)

Anyway, Smith is against giving a guaranteed contract to a quarterback whose future is uncertain. But the odds are 50-50 that a first-round quarterback becomes a star. That didn't prevent the Chargers from signing Rivers to a $40.5 million contract. Playing sparingly over two seasons, Rivers has earned more than $14 million. The North Carolina State product threw for 13,484 yards -- the second-best total in NCAA history at the time. If things pan out, Rivers might turn out to be the next, well, Drew Brees. The Chargers should know better than anyone that for every Peyton Manning, there's a Ryan Leaf.

Last season, Brees amassed a career-high 3,576 yards during a down year. Beyond the numbers, Brees -- 21-11 as a starter over the past two seasons -- brings intangibles such as moxie and fortitude that make him the leader on a team with LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates. Brees' departure will divide a club whose GM and coach aren't exactly bosom buddies.

Check out these recent remarks by Marty Schottenheimer to the San Diego Union-Tribune: "I think it's important that there's always communication between the coach and general manager. I've sought to see that realized. But quite frankly, there hasn't been as much as I would like."

In three seasons with Smith as GM, the Chargers are 25-24. The former long-time scout deserves praise for several smart moves, such as drafting linebacker Shawne Merriman last year and creating financial flexibility. But Smith is a winning GM largely because of Brees' development.

I have a feeling that Smith is one of these NFL GMs, who, like some corporate bosses, get attached to their guys. Smith inherited Brees after becoming GM in 2003. After trading for Rivers, Smith declared him the quarterback of the future before the 2004 season.

But late that season, with Brees on his way to a banner season, Smith said: "I can't tell [owner] Dean Spanos we have an unrestricted quarterback who's playing great and he's leaving. That's not sound football."

Smith should return to that mindset before his franchise turns back the clock.